


high-velocity airdrop

by indemnis



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Baristas, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, M/M, Memes, Pick-Up Lines, airdrop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 03:19:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12224676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indemnis/pseuds/indemnis
Summary: Jooheon is the kind of guy to send a document with poor pick-up lines into the Airdrop of the cute boy in the cafe, because he's just cool like that.Kihyun is the kind of guy to be wary about accepting poor pick-up lines falling into his Airdrop.Alternatively: Kihyun's Airdrop name is ludicrous, because his friend Minhyuk is an asshole.





	high-velocity airdrop

Midterms are inching closer, and the sheer pressure of Jooheon’s impending doom is enough motivation for the blonde-haired boy to trudge his way to the nearby Starbucks with a mountain of books he’s most certainly never going to actually use.

He’s revising for Statistics today, what the hell is a Geography book on rivers doing here?

Jooheon had sort of swept all his books into his arms the minute Changkyun texted him to say that he’s found a seat in a nice cosy corner and the barista at the Starbucks store kind of thinks Changkyun is cute, so they can sit there and study for the whole day.

It takes Jooheon less than two minutes to type out a reply and stuff everything and anything that looks vaguely important into his bag, and scoop up all the books on his table, trying his best to see his own feet in front of him.

What wouldn’t he give for a strong, intense cup of caffeine to send the jitters through his body, and mostly to get out of the apartment, because it’s just _so damn easy_ to trail off and make lunch even though he isn’t hungry, or to get a drink but end up leaning against his fridge playing games on his phone for hours.

He pushes the door open with his shoulder and Changkyun is waving at him, small smile on his face, and he returns it. He collapses on the seat next to him and tries his best to catch his breath. He really needs to exercise more.

“Hey, hyung.”

“Hey Changkyun. Your revision doing okay?”

“Yeah, pretty good, if only that barista doesn’t come around every ten minutes pretending to wipe my table so he can start a conversation.”

Jooheon shrugs. “Hey, if it wins you a table in the best spot, and you get to sit here for hours, even during peak hours.”

Changkyun pulls a face. “Thanks for selling me out for a seat in Starbucks.”

He grins, and leans forward to ruffle Changkyun’s hair, which effectively earns a pout on the younger boy’s end. “I’m only joking. I love you too much to see you run off with some coffee dude.”

Changkyun laughs, and pushes his hand away. “Now, now, there’s no need to be a prude.”

Jooheon places his palm on his chest and fakes a shocked gasp. “Well, look who’s over-eager to get laid.”

Changkyun swats at his general direction, his cheeks turning a slight pink as he points at Jooheon’s books. “Just start doing your work, or else I’m going to have to bleed my ears out listening to you complain about failing your units.”

The older boy pouts and his voice turns high-pitched, sickly sweet and whiny. “I don’t even know why I chose stats as an elective. I’m a fricking music major, what the hell am I gonna do with finding out the median of some data?”

Changkyun shrugs, a few reference materials on Biology strewn across the table. “Because it fits perfectly in that small empty rectangle on your timetable so that you don’t have spend more days in campus than is absolutely necessary?”

Jooheon sighs, knowing that Changkyun feels his pain the most; the boy majors in computer science -- just because they’re both called _sciences_ doesn’t mean there’s a need for him to learn about mitosis when he faces a computer about 25 hours a day.

He just heaves, puts a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder as he flips open the first page of his problem set, sneakily drinking some of Changkyun’s Iced Americano.

*****

It’s only really been a grand total of 15 minutes and Jooheon is in the middle of his third question when a tall boy in a green apron walks over, most probably the barista in question.

True enough, he walks over and starts wiping the table next to them, Jooheon’s eyes trained on his movements like a hawk, feeling a tinge of protectiveness over Changkyun creeping unto him.

He heads over to their shared table, a little surprised to find that Changkyun now has company, because Jooheon was lodged in the corner behind a wall from the counter’s view, the younger boy’s face buried in a book on the human anatomy, labels and names in small fonts.

“O-oh, hi. Just wanted to know if you guys needed anything.”

Jooheon almost rolls his eyes if it wasn’t for the fact that this guy is just so endearingly eager, his eyes sparkling with infatuation, and Changkyun is not budging. Maybe he’s playing hard to get, because this boy looks _exactly_ like his type.

He peers at his nametag and presses his lips together. Chae Hyungwon. He has a small face, big sleepy eyes that make him look like he’s about to doze off any second, and a pair of thick lips. Jooheon comes to the conclusion that Hyungwon is definitely: a. Out of Changkyun’s league, b. A real catch, and c. Changkyun is playing hard to get.

He snickers before telling Hyungwon that it’s okay, but a glass of water would be really good, and he thinks the tall barista scowls at him, because it’s not like he’s come around only to see cute boy hide his face in his books while he serves on his friend.

Changkyun clears his throat. “Yeah, me too, whatever he said.”

Hyungwon’s face lights up with a whole mix of emotions, and Jooheon wonders if he’d do well posing as decorative lights at a rave party. He scurries over to the small self-serve counter and pours two cups of water, a loud snort from the counter has Jooheon whipping his head to see a man behind it, staring at Hyungwon as he tries to conceal his laughter.

Okay, Jooheon admits, Hyungwon looks pretty desperate.

Jooheon is just eager for a distraction now, and the way events are unfolding before his eyes prove to be nothing more than an answer to his prayers. His eyes are darting back and forth between Hyungwon who’s bringing the glasses back to them, Changkyun who’s still behind his book, not reading, kind of leering at Hyungwon from the edge of it, and that laughing muscular guy with a black t-shirt that looks like it’s about to explode.

A loud ring of the bells on the door makes Jooheon jump, a glower in the general direction of the customer for distracting him from his distractions.

Jooheon has a bit of a one-track mind, because the customer who walks in is _cute_ , his left arm hugging a laptop sleeve against his chest, his right hand stuffed deep into his pockets as he pulls out some loose change, almond eyes flicking up to look at the menu.

A pair of round glasses sit perched on his well-sculpted nose, his jawline cutting with a sharpness, skin smooth and fair, a few dots on his cheekbone, his neck, under his eye, on the edge of his lips, all faint, but they look right on him.

Jooheon has to remember to breathe, then remembers Hyungwon is hovering before their table like a lanky beanstalk, and he reverts his attention to the barista, who is desperately trying to hold a conversation with the boy who is desperately trying to hide his red cheeks behind his book.

“So um, what you guys studying?”

Jooheon deadpans. Conclusion: d. Hyungwon is a horrible conversationalist.

Cute Boy at Counter is still there and is ordering something that looks like a mouthful to pronounce.

Changkyun seems adamant on keeping his mouth shut, and any silence for more than five seconds when a question has been posed is just painfully awkward, so Jooheon answers for them. “Stats for me, Bio for him. Even if both of those subjects have nothing to do with our majors.”

Hyungwon brightens up, realises Jooheon isn’t the cockblocking, unhelpful friend who’ll just make fun of them and make things awkward, so he loosens up and smiles. It’s a very pretty smile, but Jooheon can’t help but think it’s really directed at Changkyun.

“Oh, what do you guys major in?“

This man has come on five separate occasions to Changkyun’s table since he’s sat here and they haven’t even talked about the most obvious thing to talk about? Jooheon thinks Changkyun is possibly as poor a conversationalist as Hyungwon is. What a match made in heaven.

“Uh, Music for me. He majors in Computer Science.”

Hyungwon stuffs his hands in the front pockets of his apron, and shifts uneasily. Fair, considering he’s the only one standing and asking silly questions. “Oh, that’s cool. I major in Engineering. I think we attend the same university?”

 _God_ , Jooheon thinks, just what exactly did the both of them talk about when Hyungwon came by using table wiping as an excuse to talk? Or did they just telepathically share a conversation by staring into each other’s eyes?

He decides to be a good person till the end and nods. “Yeah I think so, the campus just round the corner? Changkyun and I go there too.”

Yep, he confirms; Hyungwon hadn’t even gotten a name out of the boy, because his eyes are wider now that he knows that his little crush’s name is Changkyun. It’s ridiculous; maybe Jooheon should lock them both in the storeroom, if Bulky Man by the Counter is agreeable.

Speaking of counter. Jooheon spins, hoping to find Cute Boy at Counter still there for him admire, but Cute Boy at Counter is now Cute Boy Not at Counter, and his eyes search for him, not really knowing why.

There he is, sat by the window, visibly sighing as he pulls out his laptop from his laptop sleeve, frowning a little as the guy behind him gets up from his seat and jostles him in the process. The light falls gently against his face, illuminating the left side of his profile, and he looks ethereal, so, so pretty. Jooheon gulps, realising that he’s staring, not that anyone’s paying attention to him.

Somehow Changkyun has decided to worm his way out of his shell and he’s holding Hyungwon’s gaze now, telling him something about the club he’s in and asking if Hyungwon wants to join.

Jooheon thinks it’s better if he doesn’t tell him that all they do there is just sit around, play video games, and have some booze. He’s in that club too, and sharing that information by making it sound less cool than it really is is kind of self-destructive.

“Green tea frappuccino with extra shot and whipped cream for Kihyun!”

Cute Boy at Window Seat jolts up, almost like the calling of his name had been a strike against his back, and is quick to shuffle his way to the counter, smiling mildly at Bulky Man by the Counter who’s still stealing glances at Hyungwon trying to make conversation, while telling Cute Boy at Window Seat to enjoy his drink.

Cute Boy at Win -- Jooheon should probably call him _Kihyun_ now -- is back at his seat, slouched into the armchair that almost swallows him whole, and he pulls the sleeves of his sweater longer, extending to the middle of his palms, as he holds them to his face, breathing into his hands and rubs them together.

There’s something enticing about the way he blinks and moves, how his sucks on his straw and furrows his brows in concentration as he scrolls across his trackpad, reading something on his screen intently.

It’s the small creases over his forehead, his lips pressed into a tight line, his fingers twirling a loose piece of thread on the hem of his sweater. It’s the way he cups his own face in his hands, elbows on his thighs as he sits cross-legged, thinking, his eyes looking away from his screen as he does.

It’s how his fingers rush across the keyboard, soft clicks against the keys, a few furious jabs of the delete button and the space bar, then he is speedy gonzales on the keyboard again, anxious to transform his thoughts into words.

Jooheon tries to transform _h_ _is_ thoughts into words, something to describe this unfamiliar tugging of his heartstrings, this fervent desire to go talk to the boy, the need to stare at him typing away for the whole day.

He’s damned, he thinks, as he stares back at Hyungwon, who’s taken to sitting right next to Changkyun and talking about some dumb elective Changkyun’s now taking, one that he had taken last semester. Hyungwon is so eager to please, his eyes shining with hope, affection, and Jooheon he thinks there is a faint reflection of himself in Hyungwon’s eyes.

He hopes he’ll at least be a better conversationalist than either of these idiots.

*****

“You’ve been sitting here for the past five hours. What have you even completed?” Changkyun asks, frustrated now that it’s getting busier in the store and Hyungwon has to go back to work, taking his anger out on Jooheon now that his eye candy is gone, and realised that he’s been sitting there talking to Hyungwon all afternoon instead of revising.

It’s the guilt that’s sparked his biting remark, but the comment doesn’t even prick Jooheon, as he’s sitting on the edge of his chair, chewing on his fingernails.

“You know, there’s this really cute boy by the window seat.”

“No shit, you’ve been staring at him all afternoon. I’m surprised he didn’t notice your burning gaze.”

“I’m surprised you paid attention to what I’ve been doing since all you’ve been doing today is let Hyungwon leave burning gazes on you.”

Changkyun reddens. “I do not --”

“Do you think I should do it?”

Changkyun sniffs, narrowing his eyes. “Context.”

“You know, go talk to him?”

The younger boy laughs, not even subtly, just a loud bark that attracts a few head turns, and Jooheon is too busy trying to shut him up to find out if Kihyun had turned over to look at them too.

“You would never. You’re too much of a wuss to do it.”

Jooheon scowls. “Okay, boy who didn’t hide behind a textbook because his crush was talking to him.”

Changkyun turns a darker shade of red. “You’re such a twat; Cute Boy by the Window Seat will never like you.”

“You take that back. You may be annoying as heck but I have never wished that upon you and Barista Chae.”

Changkyun wants to say something in retaliation to Jooheon’s claim about him and Hyungwon being a _thing_ , but he can tell how serious Jooheon is taking this, a piercing glare in his direction has him putting up his hands. “Okay, okay, I take that back. Cute Boy by the Window Seat will love you to death.”

Jooheon plays with his fingers, wonders if it’s worth the embarrassment to go and just talk to him, but it is also getting quite late now, and he didn’t know what time the boy would leave, and when he’d be able to see him next.

“Hey hyung, you know that elective on rivers you took last sem? Hyungwon hyung seems to be doing it this sem; you think you could send some of the materials to me?”

Jooheon raises a brow. “So you can send it to him? Use it as a conversation starter?”

Changkyun wants to hide his face in a hole, but doesn’t deny any of his accusations. “Are you going to help a friend out or what?”

Jooheon chuckles, shrugging, guess it doesn’t really matter what he needs it for. “Can I just send it to your email?” he asks, typing in his email password as he does, and Changkyun shifts in his seat, rolling his eyes.

“God, we both use Macs. You can just Airdrop it to me, you know.”

“Look, I know you’re good and into computers and all that, but --” Jooheon pauses, and his eyes are looking over to the other side, where Kihyun is busy typing into his Macbook, and he grins.

Technology makes or breaks the man. Jooheon is a big fan of the making.

*****

Airdrop

 _Jooheon’s Mac_ would like to share a document

 

Kihyun knits his eyebrows together, eyes immediately darting back and forth around the cafe, trying to find out who the person who’s trying to send him something is. He’s been sitting here, alone, for the past six hours, and is ready to send this thesis off to the system and forget about it entirely, even if 70% of it is bullshit.

He presses his lips in a tight line, noting that there are simply too many people in the cafe using Macs, and it’s like a wild goose chase, but his authenticity report pops up and checks for a similarity of 7% (re: most of it is bullshit), and the paper is done and dusted, so heck, why not?

He accepts the request and there is a Microsoft Word document with pictures: a sloth hanging on the branch of a tree, and a basket of corgi puppies falling over each other, a hamster with its cheeks completely stuffed, and a baby who’s eating and falling asleep at the same time. It’s adorable, and it takes everything in Kihyun to not squeal out loud in public.

 

**All them cute lil things n none of them as cute as u**

**do u wanna hang ;)**

 

Kihyun full on guffaws, a loud deafening bark that has heads turning round to look at him, and he mutters a sorry under his breath as he covers his mouth, patting on his lips with his sweater paw.

It’s hilarious, and it’s what he needed to relieve all that stress from that 3000-word essay, so his fingers race across the keyboard as he opens up a new document and shoots it back to the sender.

 

**buy me a caramel macchiato n i’ll consider it**

 

He folds his fingers together, eyes moving to stare at the counter, only to realise that there’s a queue, and more people are joining it every half a minute. He wouldn’t be able to tell if it was the balding uncle with a pot belly, the girl with the green hair, or the boy with the puffy cheeks.

He gives up on trying to find out what his admirer looks like and spends the next few minutes just staring at the cute pictures while he takes a screenshot and sends it to Minhyuk.

 

**To: Min**

lma o look someone tried to hit on me at bux

**From: Min**

using airdrop? gosh we’re living in 2017 but this guy already in 3017

**To: Min**

minhyuk what did we talk abt answering genuine enquiries w memes

**From: Min**

don’t do it?

**To: Min**

yea, that

**From: Min**

u’re no fun ki

but like impt qn: are they cute

**To: Min**

dunno they didnt really send me a pic

heaps of ppl here r using macs

n th e queue at the counter is super long so idk who joined in n who didnt

**From: Min**

so u’re flirting/trying to get a drink out of some person but u dont even know what they look like

this is lower than ur pick ups at the bar

n trust me those are pretty low

**To: Min**

minhyuk what did we talk abt u giving me shit

**From: Min**

don’t do it bc u’re literally the spawn of the devil and i should fear for my life?

**To: Min**

yea, that

**From: Min**

uGH Y AM I FRIENDS W U

 

Kihyun snickers, because riling Minhyuk up takes a lot of skill, especially since Minhyuk’s the one to habitually rile everyone else up.

A few minutes of him browsing through a few websites of interest and there’s a holler by the counter.

“Caramel macchiato for _skrt skrt kihyun_!”

 _Shit_. Kihyun just realised that that’s his Airdrop name (don’t ask why) (Minhyuk changed it once as a joke, also because he was trying to pull a prank on one of the freshmen and sent them a pic of a scary ghost lady as a jumpscare) (Kihyun’s name then got known as ‘the senior who sent that scary pic’) (he really hates Minhyuk) and his face reddens.

Okay, really funny. He almost contemplates not going over to pick it up, but it’s a free drink and he won’t say no to free food. He almost feels the burn in his back as the other customers giggle when he walks to the counter.

The barista who passes his drink -- Chae Hyungwon, his nametag reads -- is beaming, a mischievous, knowing glance, and Kihyun wants to bury his face in the sand. God damn it.

“Nice name,” he comments, and Kihyun wants to cry, noting how he did the _skrt_ s perfectly. He would be great friends with Minhyuk. He’s about to go back to his seat when the barista pipes up. “That boy over there sitting in the corner with the snapback was the one who bought you the drink,” he says, and then he grins.

“Wow, I’ve always wanted to do that, you know, like those bartenders who are like,” he clears his throat, puts on his best sultry voice, “sir, this drink is courtesy of that gentleman there.” And then he breaks into fits of giggles and Kihyun can’t decide if it’s endearingly dorky, or if he’s just weird.

“Uh, thanks?” His eyes trail to where the barista was pointing, but all he sees is a wall, and he frowns. He leans his entire body to the left, and jumps when a face pops up from behind the wall, his gaze searching, and then it lands on Kihyun. He smiles, dimples deeper than the Grand Canyon, and he tips his snapback at Kihyun, who just laughs. This Starbucks store is filled with people too into this gentleman roleplay.

He’s cute, even if he’s just embarrassed him in front of the whole cafe.

He smiles in return and lifts his drink, gestures to him and considers if he should go over and say hi, but he feels a little silly because he’s sure there are still some customers who haven’t gotten over _skrt skrt kihyun_ and now he’s going to add another label to his notoriety -- The Starbucks skrt skrt Guy.

He walks back to his table and doesn’t note the hint of disappointment on the boy’s face, just determined to return to his seat and hope for people to slowly put this behind them. He picks up his phone almost immediately and fires a ‘I fricking hate you’ to Minhyuk before he settles into his seat.

 

Airdrop

 _Jooheon’s Mac_ would like to share a contact card

 

Kihyun clicks on ‘Accept’ and shoots an iMessage.

 

**To: jooheon (?)**

hi

**From: jooheon (?)**

hi! im jooheon

**To: jooheon**

wow i would have never known

**From: Jooheon**

ok skrt skrt kihyun

**To: Jooheon**

wow why

**From: Jooheon**

bc it’s funny

also u look like u need the break

u look stressed

 

Kihyun looks up from his laptop to see Jooheon typing on his phone, nudging his friend with his elbow from time to time, said friend appearing to be only mildly interested. He chuckles.

 

**To: Jooheon**

yeah long ass paper to write

im done now though

 

Is that too much of an invitation? He might as well have been holding up a neon sign to tell Jooheon to come over because he’s done with his work?

 

**From: Jooheon**

O.o why didnt u come over then

**To: Jooheon**

recovering from the embarrassment that is skrt skrt kihyun

also ure the one who wanted to hang

**From: Jooheon**

oh is this an open invitation?

bc u only said u would ‘consider it’

didnt want to invade ur space n stuff

esp if ure busy and stuff yknow

**To: Jooheon**

told u im done w my paper

 

And then Kihyun doesn’t have to look up to tell that Jooheon is the guy screaming in elation on the other side of the cafe, turning heads, as he covers his mouth and pats on his lips with his palm.

*****

“Did you know in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, the United Nations would airdrop food and medical supplies from aircrafts to the people who need them?” Jooheon comments lightly, sipping on his own soy latte.

(Kihyun judges him for the soy when Jooheon confesses that he isn’t lactose intolerant, he just ‘likes the taste of the bean’.)

Kihyun frowns, and Jooheon thinks he is possibly the most attractive person on Planet Earth to wear such a frustrated look.

“Your point?”

“That I was in hell with this midterm revision bullshit and your presence was the aid that descended from the heavens to save me from dealing with horrifying formulae. Plus, you know, airdrop?”

Kihyun guffaws, a little bit like a small animal choking on its own breath, but Jooheon is now way too involved to concern himself with details like unattractive laughing sounds. “So, I’m a distraction. Plus, good pun. How long did it take you to come up with it?”

Jooheon rests his chin on his palms as he looks at Kihyun dreamily. “The best kind of distraction. Also, five minutes, after a very intense scan of a Wikipedia page.”

Kihyun chuckles, doesn’t know how or what he should think of this weird guy who’s hitting on him, but he’s pretty funny, and hilarity is all that’s worth living for in Kihyun’s sad, lonely life (Minhyuk’s words).

“You’re pretty funny,” he states matter-of-factly, and Jooheon is all smiles, his white pearly teeth on display, and those to-die-for dimples flashing, Kihyun just laughing along with him.

“You’re pretty,” Jooheon returns, and Kihyun cocks his head to the side. “Pretty what?”

“Nothing. Just ‘you’re pretty’.”

The black-haired boy blushes, a dark pink, his ears a deep shade of red, extending all the way to the base of his neck and he breathes, but barely. Jooheon can’t peel his eyes off of him, the way he rubs at his nape and bites on his lower lip as he tries to find a coherent response to _that_ \-- everything he does is simply mesmerising.

“Wow, anyone told you you’re cheesy?”

Jooheon grins, shrugging. “Dunno, but a really pretty person told me I was kind of funny.”

Kihyun roars with laughter and picks up his drink, the caramel macchiato Jooheon bought for him, and he nurses his drink, sipping on it slowly, lets Jooheon ask him questions like what his major is, which uni he attends (not surprisingly, this Starbucks being the closest to the university, they attend the same one), what he likes to do in his free time.

Kihyun tells him he’s a Business and Econs double major, and Jooheon’s eyes grow wide. He doesn’t say a single word and scrambles up, dashing back to his table with Changkyun. Kihyun frowns. Is he going home?

Jooheon is back in seconds, before Kihyun lets himself answer his own question, and there’s a problem set sitting in front of Kihyun. It’s familiar, but it’s the last thing he wants to see after a 3000-word essay on macro econs. He raises an eyebrow, but Jooheon’s smile is blinding, and he scratches the back of his head, realising that he’s wearing a snapback, and pulls it off to scratch the back of his head.

“I’m taking Stats as an elective this sem?” Then he stills, silence engulfing the both of them, Kihyun still sipping on his drink.

“Your point?” He repeats for the second time this evening, and Jooheon’s eyes turn into slits as he lifts up his shoulders and he squirms, showing his brightest smile. “I need a bit of help.”

“You know, I’m enjoying the conversation so far. There’s no need for a tutor roleplay?”

Jooheon sulks. “It’s not a roleplay if I’m going to fail this unit, Kihyun.”

Kihyun sniffs, rubs his nose with the back of his palm and shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m pretty tired.”

Jooheon pouts. “You’re supposed to be my airdrop aid.”

The black-haired boy laughs. “Didn’t claim myself to be; you gave me that name.”

“Then live up to it.”

Kihyun sticks out his tongue and Jooheon holds his gaze for a good half minute, pressing his lips together in a tight line, trying out his best puppy eyes. It doesn’t work; Kihyun has a black, steel heart (Minhyuk’s words).

He pushes himself further into the armchair, eyes darting away to look at Hyungwon, who’s now ended his shift and stuffing his green apron to the back of the counter. He’s walking stealthily to Changkyun, his hand balling into fists beside him, like he’s finding the courage within himself.

Kihyun’s head tilts to the side and he worries his bottom lip between his teeth. Jooheon wants to catch it between his own teeth, pink flesh soft and tempting.

“Why can’t you just be like him? You know, jittery, nervous, excited to talk to me, a little scared? It’s so endearing,” Kihyun says, sipping on his drink, loudly this time, blocking out the deafening way his heart is thumping against his chest when Jooheon throws his pen on the table dejectedly at Kihyun’s lack of assistance.

“I sent you a document of cute pictures, how’s that not endearing?”

Kihyun snorts. “But you’re not like _that_.” He gestures to where Hyungwon and Changkyun are, and Jooheon turns around to look at where he’s pointing before he makes a face. “You know, nervous? To talk to me? You just airdrop over like you know I’m gonna fall for you.”

Jooheon’s eyes widen, like he’s never imagined his image to be a confident male, one that had faith in his hook, line and sinker, and his voice trembles, a whisper. “I was terrified, honestly. You looked so ethereal I think I spent most of my time just wondering if you were a figment of my imagination.”

Kihyun reddens again. “Wow, okay, shut up, I’m still not tutoring you Stats.”

Jooheon laughs, arm reaching out before he can stop himself, and his thumb swipes across Kihyun’s soft cheek, the black-haired boy letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and Jooheon opens his palm, Kihyun leaning into it.

The throbbing headache at the front of his skull is alleviated by a small bit, and Jooheon cups his face in his hand, eyes blown wider at how Kihyun curls into his touch like a tiny kitten, soft and lovely. He’s so pretty. Jooheon falls harder.

Then he smiles, his eyes disappearing into thin crescents, and Kihyun breathes softly against his hand.

“Hey.” Jooheon mouths, his voice barely above a soft exhale of breath, and Kihyun’s lashes flutter indecisively over the bags under his eyes, lids opening and closing tiredly.

“Hmm?” Kihyun asks, and he really wants to go home and sleep his night away, but Jooheon’s skin is warm to the touch, and his presence comforting, even if it sends tingles down his spine, but in a nice, easy way. He feels like he’s known the boy for years, even if they’ve only met for two hours.

“Do you want to leave? Go home and get some rest; you look like you need it.”

Kihyun shakes his head. “No, I’m okay. I’m not tired,” he mutters before trying to push down a yawn, and Jooheon thinks he’s so adorable, he’s so tempted to kiss him on his soft, thin lips, but he doesn’t, and resorts to ruffling his black hair.

Jooheon leans back into his chair and Kihyun asks if he’s actually going to do any revision today, at which Jooheon just groans and buries his face in his hands.

(Kihyun ends up tutoring him on Stats anyway, as long as he is bribed with coffee, and a date after Jooheon’s exam on Monday.)

(Jooheon also manages to kiss Kihyun in front of his dorm before they part for the night, his lips soft and warm, just like he’d imagined.)

**Author's Note:**

> so. rarepair. i really like jooheon and kihyun and they're so cute but their tag has like a grand total of 16 works and i'm anguished. this is in no way good because as you can tell i lost steam near the end but i mean.  
> puns + bad pick up lines + memes? me in a nutshell.
> 
> anyway hope you guys liked it! kudos and comments are always appreciated! <3


End file.
